Regenerator for furnaces.



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Paene Bea. 21y i915.

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F. HTH. REGENEHATOR FDR FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILI-II) HAYZT. IGI-1.

Patented D60. 2, 1915.

Inafen 07 Frank r??? F. ORTH.

yRisxssmmon Foa fummcfs. APPLIATION FILED MAYZ?, 1914.

mam.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

titl reilly@ FRANK ORTH, OF INDIATA HARBOR, INDIANA.

REGENERATOR FOR FURNACES.

Application le. May 27, 1914. Serial No. 841,21

To ZZ fui/'wm may concern i Be it known that l, FRANK (hun, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indiana Harbor, in the county ot' Lake and State of indiana, have invented certain new and useful improvements in legenerators lor Fur naces, or'.' which the following' is a specification.

The present invention has reference to certain improvements in furnace regenerators, and has particular reference to improvements which are intended to -improve the operation ot the regenerator notwithstandingthe presence oi flue dust and the like in the due gases.

lt has been found by experience that there is a. tendency for the upper courses or -sections of the regenerator to become clogged or closed by the iiue dust very much more --rapidly than is the case with the lower courses or portions.' This tendency seems to result primarily from two causes. ln the tirst place as the `gases are delivered over from the furnace they strike the upper courses at their highest temperature and reach the loiver course at a comparatively lower temperature after having been stunned or F chilled l.' The result is that the upper courses-of checker-Work will fuse or soften to a certain extent so that the f'iue dust Will readily adhere orstick to these portions. ln the second place the gases contain or carry more suspended matter when they lirst enter the regenerator than after they have traveled through or traversed a portion or the checker-Work. Furthermore,I the total cross-sectional area of the checksL openings is very unich less than the area. rf

the space above them so that the velocity@ of the must suddenly increase as tln'y enter the checker-ivmk. i rThis sudden `increase of velocity causes yviolent agitation or cddying and tends to still further precipitate the suspended matter onto the checker work oit the top courses. This tendency for the ne dust to collect principally on ythe lupper courses of the checker-Work results in a comparatively rapi1 clogging or cl'osing ot the passages therein. The. resul'tlis that it is generally to shut dovvn or close dovvn the urnace and regeneralors for the. puipose of replacing' or removing the upper courses of the checker Work long before. the lover courses have become materially damaged or disabled. vlach time such repairs are necessary there is a considerable v vSpecication of Letters Patent.

Patented Bice. 2t,

waste of time in the operation of the -furnace and also the labor expenseis large.

One object of the present invention is to` so arrange or construct the body ot' the checker-Work that a portion of the gases will be delivered directly into the body'oi" the checker-,Work without having to pass through or traverse the upper courses,` so that the access of the gases to the bo-dyot the checker-Work and the loiver portion thereof will not be dependent upon the ability oi the gases to pass through the checker openings of the upper courses. At the same time the suspended matter will be more evenly distributed throughout the entire body of the checker-work so that a vverv much greater period of time, or a very much longer campaign ot' operation will' elapse before it becomes necessary to rcnev.' or replace any portion of the checker-Work. At the same time even after some portions of the checker-work may have become so clogged or loaded that the gases cannoteasily pass throughthem, thegases ivill'p'ass down through the supplementary or enlarged passageways which are disclosed in the present application`r so that the operation of the regenerator may be successtully continued long,r after a time When the ordinary regenerator 1would have been so clogged that it could no longer be successfully used.

Another object ot the invention is to associateor combine the advantages above mentioned with certainl olz the benetits or advantages which follow from the constructionsy disclosed in my ofi-pending application, Serial No. Wedel", which Wasiled bination relates particularly to the association or combination ot a heat storage. ervoir comprisingv primary and secoiidai'y heat storage sections in` combination with the further provision. of supplementary pas.- sagewvays orenlarged openings to facilitateV the ready access of the gases to the interior or body portions oi the checker-wo'r' 'lt will be understood, however, that the dis- This association or comloo closures of the present application are. in no Wise limited to use in combination or ciation with those of the above mentioned application.

@ther objects and uses will appear from a detailed description'of the invention which consist-s in the features oi? construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

v at, the upper portion ot the 'iiuary and secondary heat storage sections; hin'. l isla 'ferti- 'al longi'tiulinal section raken ou the lliu-` Vl-l ol' Fig. il looking` iu the direction oi the arrows; Fin'. 5 vis a plan View ot' still another forni ol` construction in which 'he checkers o'l` the primary heal'. stur; secdon are spaced dill'erently troni the checkers ol the secondary section; l is a vertical longitudinal .section laken on the line {Ff-l ot' Fig. 5 looking' in the directiiai ou thc arrows; Fig. l' is a vertical cro section taken on the broken line i'---i oi' F151.

looking in the direclion olf the arrow-i; Fig. Si is a vertical cross` section tal-:cn on line broken line S---t of lig. l looking in the direction ol. the arrows; .l shows a modified arrangement ot' the lower portion ot' the construction showi in lili; Y; and Fig. lll shows a modified l/arm ol the construction shown in Fig'. L. ihe nio.' iication consisting' in terminatingl the enlarge! passages at a point somewhat above the lower portion of the checlqer-worlf,

One feature ol' the present invention has: to do with the provision oi' p: age-ways or openings through certain portions ot' the. heat absorbing structure o' greater sii/4e or cross section than those through the reinainder of the structiire` the enlarged openings or passage-ways beingF formed in those portions ol' the strlurture where there will probably be the greater-t tendency for the openings to become clogged or obstructed by` the l'lue dust. (rdinarily ther-:e openings ot' large' area would he lornied in the upper portion of the structure. or in that portion which is first encountered by the njas as it enters the regenerator.

Referring to the constructimi shown in Figs. l and 2 in this case the body of the l at absorbing structure constitutes the checker-work ll. lt may be supported in the usual manner by means ol the lono'itudi- 'nally extending rider walls i2. The the openings in the nzain body ol the checker-work is shown at vlil in l-lig. i. ns has beenl previously explaineih these openings are ol such a size that the checker-work strllcture will ordinarily become clogged up long before that-in the. body ofthe checker-work. lf therefore provide enhirgred openings extending down into the body of the checker so as to facilitate the Ientrance of the flue gasesinto the saine. In the arrangement shown in Figs. l. and 2 the enlarged openings are the passage-ways ll. As is clearly illustrated in llig. l, they are conveniently stai:- gered with .respect to each other as to secure a niore uniform distribution of them throughout, the body ot' the regenerator. The incoming lue gases enter at the point l5 and are delivered from the'point 1G. ft therei'ore 'follows that their general direction is lforwari'lly and downwardly7 or in a diagonal direction with respect to the check work. li' the passages l-l extend stratdown into the body of the checker-work it' they are allowed to slant in the saine general direction as the flowv ol" the gases there may be a tendency for the gases to pass through the openings without being diverted or forced into the body ol the checkerivork as lnuch as would be desired. In order to counteract or olfset any such tendency l prefer to slant or bend the passages llin such a direction as to bring thein salstantially at right angles to the general direction ol' movement of the gases. sort ol' an arrangement is well illustrated in hier in which the upper ends ot' the passages are set considerably forward of their lower ends l?. With this arrangeinent as the gases enter the upper ends ol the passages they will either have to travel in a backward direction as they descend, or they will be diverted or deflected oilI into the body ot the checker, and by properly' arranging thein it will he 'found that the great` body ot the gases will be forced to work sidewise or torwzudly from the passages into the body ot' the checker. )t' course the enact 'iorui and arrangement and directioningj oi' the passages ll will be a matter of convenience. or ot' proportions to be any given case.

The passages 14 are conveniently formed by lea vingout certain of the checker bricks or blocks7 so thatthese passages in elect oe- 'conie equivalent to the-enlarged spacing of the checker blocks in certain porti ns ot' the regenwater. It will be seen by lez ving out the blocks in this manner the passages l-l, will be made several tiinesas large as the usual openings 13 between the blocks or checkers. ln order to still further assist' in directing the gases and to secure the desired unit'orni distribution, l have shown shields or bullies 1S mounted over therl'iont portions ot' the upper ends of each ot 'the passages l-l. ',lhese will force the gases to work down throughthe ventire surface ot' the checker as well as down through theV passages il. The result would be that when the checker-work is comparatively new and unobstructed the gas will work ,down through practically the entire upper Surface of the checker, a portion of it Working down also through the passages 14 and directly into the body of the This f applied in4 lill' "14 and thus find its way directly into the -body of-the regenerator. Under no circumlmore obstructed and more and more ofthe d u v r gas/Will enter-the upper ends of the passages l stances, however, willthese passages 1-lbe- "come obstructed, at least until 'the later stages of the campaign.

'From the foregoing it will be seen that not "only will this feature of my invention increase the life of the heat absorbing structure, but that it will also insure, a more perfect and more efficient heat absorption and delivery for the reason that the entire mass or body of the checker work will be more uniformly heatedat each reversal. It will also be noted in this connection that when the air is being passed backward through the regenerator it will have a direction of travel generally from the opening 1G tothe opening 15, and by reason of the diagonal arrangement of the passages 1t the air also will be very uniformly delivered through the entire body of the checker.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4 I have combined or associated the features disclosed in Figs. 1 and with the feature or principle ofprimary and secondary heat' absorbing structures. In the present case the checker work comprises the upper or 1` primary structure 19. and the lower or secondary structure 20. Between these strucltures there are provided longitudinally eX- tending passage-ways 21 which are formed by the rider walls 22, said walls in turn supporting the primary heat absorbing structure. In the present case the passage-ways 14 extend down through both structures, and

particularly through the primary structure to communicate with the longitudinal passage-ways 21. As the hot enter at the po-int 15 they rst encounter the primary heat absorbing structure and they are stunned by the same, that is to say a portion of their heat is removed so as to chill them a-certain amount. Furthermore the gases strike the primary structure they carry a maximum amount of matter in suspension. The result is that the primary structure w-ill become clogged or closed very much sooner than the secondary structure` but when it does so the vgas will readily find its way down through the passages 14 which extend through the primary structure. Even should the upper portionj of the secondary structure beco-me clogged or obstructed by Hue dust, the lower portions of the passages 14 will serve to effect a distribution Aof the gases through the body of the secondary structure. l f A ,In thearrangepient shown in Figs. 5 and v6 I'have illustrated the openings or passages `through the entirebodyof the upper poram al tion of the heat absorbing structure as being -spaced to puovide larger openings throughout its entire body than are provided -ture as being separated into distinct primary and secondary heat absorbing structures, although it will be apparent that this distinct separation might be eliminated or dispensed vwith as far as the feature disclosed in these figures is concerned. In the arrangement illustrated the blocks in the upper portion are spaced to provide the enlarged openings 28 while the blocks in the lower portion are spaced to provide openings 24 of the* usual or customary size. In addition I have illustrated the passage-ways 14 through the lower structure so as to per mit a more ready and perfect distribution of the gases through the lower structure, should that be necessary. However, the es sential feature in ythis case is that the size of the openings through the different portions of the heat absorbing structure is proportioned according to the probable rate of obstruction by the suspended matter, the larger lopenings being used where the gases carry the maximum amount of suspended matter and where the temperature is the highest and where the checkerwork will ordinarily become closed the most rapidly. This idea is shown in a further modilication in Fig. l) in which the lower ends of the passage-ways 14: are shown. as being of smaller size than the upper portions of said passage ways.

In Fig. 10 lI have shown. still a different form of construction embodying the features of the present invention, the modilication in 'this case 'consisting in terminating the passages 14 at some point'above the lower face of the checker-work. Ordinarily practically the entire body or volume of the flue gases will have entered into the mass of the checker-work before the lower end of the passages 14Y are reached. Therefore in such cases it will be desirable to close in the lower ends of the passages with checker-work so as to correspondingly increase theheat storage capacity of the regenerator. At the same time the passages 14 should ordinarily be carried down to such a depth as to insure that the gas will be delivered into all portions of the heat absorbing structure.

I wish to point outby reason of the steps or changes of direction of the passages 14; the gases traveling through said passages will have their' direction of travel suddenli7 changed, which fact will greatly assist in forcing the gases to enter into the body of the checker work 0r honey-comb, for the reason that the gases will seek the path of least resistance in their travel. In this conneption il@ l lila while have shown the steps as being towa rtl one eful of the furnace, it will be eviilent that they :night also be sirlewise, this feature having reference to the provision ol a passage whose direction jtroipiently Changes so as to throw the gases into the body olt the checken also to point out the fact that the greatly ii area or surface through which the asrsinay enter into or penetrate the hotly oll the hoeken as compared to a eonslruetitm in which all ot the must enter the clieeieron a single surface, such lor example as the lop sin-tare of the ordinary eheelrer-worl; eonstruetion. ln this rouneelion it will be seen that as the upper courses ol the rheeker-worh become olosefil more and more by the accumulation tlue rlust more aiul more ot the gases will be ilivertetl or h rmsseil directly into the pas sages ll, and this change ot relationship or ilistrihuiion ol .the gases will talle place autianalirally so that 'the gases will redistributi` tluniselves autimiatirally as the upper courses lu'eoine clogged or partially elose'tl.

with the (last. Furthermore this automatic redistribution ot the nj: is not limited to their distributifm with repeat to the upper courses olf eherkerwork`v but it the sitles of any portion ot' a passage become clogged the @gases will pass on tlown tiu'oughthe pas# sages until they reach a point where they l may more readily enter into the botly ot the elwelteravork. Furthermore by the use ot' a, construction in which the )assages extentl olea r through or substantially clear through the checker-work, assurance will be hatllhat uniler no considerations will the. l'egenerator heroine so clogged as to prevent the easy ."low ot' gas through it, because the passages ll will always remain open even when the elierlnn-\vorl itself has beeoine clogged. so as to in ell'ert liv-pass the checker work or heat absorbing' structure. l wish also to point out that openings may be provitletl tor firing ronvenient arress to the different passages or to the tunnels beneath the checker-work. for the purpose ot facilitating the removal ol" areun'lulateil matter therefrom.

There in the'speriheation and claims I use the terms honeyeoinljv and ebookerworlt l oontrmplate not simply the torni of emistrurtimi usually ailopteil ior proviilinp a. heat absorbing structureg but also any suitable 'form ol2 Construction which includes an openworlt mass or" material llavingf ronn'eetingr openings or passages through which the gases may travel in ortler to perl meate or penetrate substantially the entire mass ol' material.

l elaini:

l. A regrenerator structure comprising a honey-comb mass ot heat absorbingr material having a network of gas passages extending message through its hotly, sairl 'passages being ol" sub-v purpose speeiliecl.

2. A regenerator eomprisin,on a honeycomb oi heat absorhinff material, the pas sages ot which are of relatively small cross sectional area. and having a plurality of i passages ot relatively large Cross sectional area extendingr through the holly troni top to bottom thereo't', substantially as and for the purpose specilietl.

3. A regenerator comprising a honeyu comb ot heat absorbingl material having its net work ot gas ii assages of relatively small cross sectional area`r and haring ai plurality ot' other 'passages of relatively' large cross sectional area extending through the mass from top toliottoin thereol', substantially as and for the purpose specified.

l( regenerator Comprising a honeyeonb of heat alisorbing material haring its las passages ot relatively sinall cross-seetional area, and having a plurality ot passages of relatively large Cross-seetional area extending downwardly from the upper portion ol" the l'ioney-eomb .into the hotly portion thereoitl substantially at right'angles to the general direction of gas travel through the regenerator.

5. regenerator. 'comprising a honey/- I n comb of heat alisorbmg material having its gas passages ot relatively small cross-sectional area. and having a plurality of other passages of relatively large'cross-sectional area extending downwardly from the upper portion of the honey-omb toward' the lower portion thereof, said passages being stepped t'roxn top-to bottoni, whereby they `lie at substantially right angles to the general direction of gas travel through the regenerator.

6. A regenerator comprising a checkerwork of heat absorbing material having its gas passages of relatively small cro sse@ tional arezu, and having av plurality of other passages olfA relatively large oross-sectional area extending y downwardly from the upper portion of the eheolterworlt toward the lower portion thereof, sairl passages being` arranged in staggered relationship with respect to each other in any given horizontal plane ol section.

7. A regenerator comprising;` a honeyeoinb olE heat absorbing material ha ving its passages of relatively small sectional area, antl having'a 'plinality ot other passages ot' relatively large Cross-sectional area extending downwardly through its body trom the upper portion of the li`1ie\i-e irib towaril the lower portion thereof, sairl passages extending in a direction substantially at right angles to tho general direction of in staggered relaeach other in any rising a honey-comb passages beingari-an tionship with respe horizontal plane ot' ser.

8. A regenerator co offbeat absorbing material havingl its gas passages ot relatively small cross-sectional area, and having a plurality ot' other passages oflrelatively larg cross-sectional area extending downwardly from the upper por f tion' ol the honey-comb toward the lower portion thereof, each oit said large passages being-stepped from top to bottom whereby it lies substantially at right angles to the general direction ot' gas trayel through the 1 regenerator, and said passages being stagtures, each of said structures comprising a honey-comb of heat absorbing material havingits gas passages of relat1vely small cross sectional. area, there'being other passages ot' relatiie'ly large cross sectional area extending: through the body of the regenerator from the upper to the lower portion of the primary heatabsorbmg structure, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

10. In a regenerator the combination of primary and secondary heat absorbing structures, each of said structures comprising.:` a honeV-comb ol heat absorbing material, the gas 'passagesof the honey-comb of the secondary heat absorbing structure being ot' relatively small cross-sectional area, and there being other passages ot'I relatively large cross-sectional area extending trom the upper portion toward the lower portion oi' the heat absorbing structure.

1l. ln a regenerator the combination of primary and secondary heat absorbing structures, each of said structures comprising a honey-comb of heat absorbing material, and there being/gas distribution passages between the primary and secondary structures, there beingsr passages otl relatively large crosssectional area extending downwardly into the body of the secondary heat absorbing structure.

ln a regenerator the combination ot primary and secondary heat absorbing structures, each of said structures comprising,r a honey-comb ot heat absorbingr material, ythe honey-comb ofthe secondary structure having,r gas passages ot relatively small crosssectional area, and there beingy passages ot relatively large cross-sectional area extendingthrough the primary structmfe and into' the body ot the secondary structure.

i3. ln a regenerator the combination of primary and secondary heat absorbngstructures, lach ol" said structures comprising a honey-comb ol hcat absorbingr material, the honey-comb of the secondany structure having gas passages of relatively small crosssectional areln and there being gas passages ol' relatively large cross-sectional area extending' through the ln'imary structure and into the body of the secondary strueturee each ot said relatively large passages exteiiding in a direction substantially at right angles to the general direction ot gas travel througrh the regenerator. Y

ll. ln a regenerator the combination of primary and secondary heat absorbinggstructures, each oi' said structures comprising a honey-comb ol heat absorbing material, the secomlary ructure havingl gas passages ot relativelyv small cross sectional area, there being" other passages ot relatively large crosssectional area extending through the primary structure and into the body otithe secondary structure the relatively large pasl sages in the secondary structure being stepped and lying in a direction substantially at right angles to the general direc tion of gas travel through the regrenerator.

15. A regenerator comprising a honeycomb of heat absorbing material having its passages ot' relatively small cross-sectional area and having a plurality ot other passages ot' 'relatively large cross-sectional area extendingdownwardly from the upper portion ol the honeycomb toward the lower portion thereof, said relatively large passages being provided with steps from top to bottom whereby `gases flowing down through said passages are forced to change direction at each ot' said steps.

lo. A regenerator comprising` a honeycomb of heat absorbing material having' its to the general direction ot' gas movement,

whereby the gases flowing' into said passages tend to low sidewise from the passages into the body ot' the l1 vat absorbing' material'.

1T. A regrcneratoi" comprising a honeycomb ot heat absorbing material havingr its gras passages ot' relatively small cross-sectional area and havinf a plurality ot other passages ot relatively large cross-sectional area extending` downwardlv from the upper portion ot' the honeycomb toward the lower portion thereof, and a baille or d-ellcctor adjacent the upper end ofeach ot tively large passages.

18. regrenerator comprising` a honeycomb of' heat absorbing material having' its gras passages ot relatively small cross-sectional area and havingy a plurality'ot other passages ot' relatively largecross-sectional area extending downwardly Vfrom the upper portion otl the honeycomb toward the lower portion thereof, and a baille mounted adja- Q52, meas/ro cent the forward side ot' the upper end oit 'aeh oll said relatively lange passages to thereh)v Causel gases comingv into the rigene 'ator to suddenly change direction as they enter the relatively large passages.

15). .A regenerator comprising a network of heat absorbing material having;l its gas aseae'es regularl)v formed and located, and ating! the passages of.' its lower portion ol' relatirelv small cross sectional area and those of its upper portion ot relatively.Y lare'e cross .sectional area, whereby the passages in the. upper portion of the network may l1eeoine partially closed hy ,the eindering ot llue dust: without interfering with the tree flow ot gases through the said portion of the, structure to that portion ot' the. strutture wherein the passages are of relatively small cross sectional area.

Jl. A, regninerator Comprising a network heat aosorbinsv material having its gras assagres regi, lai-l)Y formed and located, and ia\ ingr the gas passages in its lover courses` ol'4 r-elatirel'xY small cross sectional area as eompared to those in its upper V eourses, wherelrr eindering of gases into the strueture ot the uiper portion olE the network will not prevent the free tlow ot gases therethrough to the lower portion of the strueture.

2l. A regenerator Comprising a honoreourh ol heat absorbing' material haring the nas passages throughout its entire bod)7 ularly Ltormed and located, and having' the. passages throughout substantially the entir area ot' its upper @nurses ot relativelyv a eross sectional .size as compared to r passages throughout substantially the entire l l l area of its lower courses, substantially s and for the purpose set forth.

212. il regrenerator Comprising a network.

uountell a ol: r vlativelv small cross sectional area, subatanti: lj.' as and for the purpose set forth.

Q3. rt regenerator comprising* a network of heat ahsorhing material having its gas passages regularly vformed and placed, and having the passages vthroughout substantialllv the entire area of the courses on the incoming' side oi relatively' lz'lrgge cross sectional area as compared to those throughout sulistantially the entire area of the connes on the outgoing; side, the heat ab sorhing'material haring: its `as passages of relatirel)` large cross sectional ara being` at a greater elevation than the heat absorbing material haring' its `as passages ofrelativel;Y small eri, sectional are: and lor the purpose forth.

FRANK ORTH.

neat absorbing," material haring' the passages suliistantially as 

